I. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the general field of business promotion and marketing and advertising of products and services;
The invention is more particularly directed to a business promotion, marketing, and advertising business model algorithm directed to a particular class of persons who are attracted to slot machines and the like located in casinos and the like, wherein a slot machine is utilized for dispensing coupons, tokens and the like redeemable at businesses for services and products or for discounts on such services and for information concerning businesses and their services, products, or the like, in connection with business sponsored special presentations in conjunction with gaming machine operators and patrons.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Slot machines are among the most common gambling devices. There is some sort of fascination about slot machines. The result is that some people sit for hours, or even days, at slot machines, sometimes winning, but generally losing. As a result there have been numerous variations in slot machines. Almost everything conceivable has been tried with slot machines.
We are familiar with U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,231,568; 5,373,440; and 5,941,772, which at first blush may seem to be prior art as to our present invention. However, the only real similarity is that all of those patents and our present invention involve rotating or simulated rotating reels (slot machine type) mechanisms.
Our invention is a true Business Model Algorithm as was so well defined in the State Street Bank case (State Street Bank and Trust Company v. Signature Financial Group 1998 U.S. App. LEXIS 16869). In our present invention the algorithm brings together a cooperative relationship between gaming entertainment (slot machines), and businesses of all types seeking to broaden their client or customer base through education and information assisted by a machine and its operation.
Upon reading this entire Patent Application and the accompanying illustrations it will become apparent that this invention meets the test of being novel and useful and a proper business model algorithm.
It is our belief that while there is prior art as to advertising on spinning reel type machines, there is no prior art as to an algorithm designed to utilize gaming machines with the building or enhancing a business client or customer base of a broader spectrum than is reached by other means of business promotion.
As disclosed in Anthony P. Colapinto""s prior patent application referred to above, he had devised a premium selection method which we believed was unique and novel. As the file wrapper in that case will show, apparently we were wrong. In our presently pending application referred to above, we believed, and still believe, that our system revealed there is unique. We do not know how that will finally be decided.
Nonetheless we have become so completely involved with slot machines that we have recognized there is some untapped way that businesses other than casinos can build a customer base by using slot machines in unique ways.
We believe there is no prior art to the business promotion model and algorithm disclosed in this patent application.
We have studied slot machines and the people who play them for long periods of time. We have interviewed casino patrons and casino personnel.
We have discovered that there are those who play slot machines with the honest expectation that they will win huge amounts of money. There are others who expect to lose, but are entertained by the spinning wheels and the excitement they find in the bare possibility they may win. Still others find playing slot machines an exciting interlude in an otherwise boring existence. Almost universally the person who plays slot machines will lose.
Generally, a slot machine player will win a few dollars after a period of losing play. The slot machine player will then continue to play mixing the winnings with any other funds on hand. This will be repeated time after time with the average slot machine addict until he or she loses all initial funds as well as all he or she has won at various times. A very beneficial feature of our business model algorithm is that a slot machine player will be virtually forced to save something from his or her occasional winnings.
Some of these machines actually employ reels which spin, and some of the machines produce an image which appears to be a spinning reel, but is in fact an electronic image producing device.
We have now conceived and developed a method and apparatus wherein some, or all of the pictures upon the reels or simulated reels are pictures of various products, or businesses or services and/or descriptive information or the like rather than meaningless symbols. With our new invention we can attract and hold the attention of persons for long periods of time during which time periods informational and other messages can be repeatedly displayed without losing the attention of those participating or watching. Thus, this is an excellent way to display information concerning a business and the like.
Our new business algorithm also is a new way for businesses and gaming establishments to increase business, widen their customer bases, and increase profits.
Our new invention includes incentives for those playing the slot machines utilizing the methods of this new model to purchase the products and services being displayed and provides increased revenues for the casino or other gaming establishment. The slot machine is played in the customary way with players inserting coins or tokens purchased from the casino and without the necessity of any special cards, or other equipment or conditions.
In one alternate method of playing slot machines using our new method and algorithm the player may select to play exclusively for service and product awards, or exclusively for cash payout, or for a mixture of the two.
When playing for service and product awards alone or in combination with cash awards the slot machine player is virtually forced to save something and not lose everything. Most slot machine players will take any winnings and continue to play the winnings as well as their initial cash, thus ending a session with nothing. In our new system, the product and service awards cannot be played back into the machines. It is necessary to use cash or cash credits in order to activate the slot machines. Thus when one wins a product or service award he or she is virtually forced to leave the casino or the like with something of value.
It is object of this invention to provide a customary slot machine located within a gaming establishment or the like wherein the reels or simulated reels display icons, pictures and other depictions for products or services in addition to the usual icons utilized for cash payout;
Another object of this invention is to provide such machines wherein various combinations of pictures displayed will align on a pay line and provide options of cash payout or an increased value by selecting the product or service depicted at prices which result in greater value to the person playing the slot machine than could be obtained by the otherwise available cash payout;
Another object of this invention is to provide incentives for those playing slot machines to visit particular commercial establishments.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the description of a preferred embodiment which follows in conjunction with a review of the appended drawings.